I've been overweight for as long as I can remember. But it wasn't until I had my fourth child in 2007—and then lost my father to cancer two years later—that I started to realize I really had a problem. I ate to deal with stress and grief.

START

TAKE STOCK

I calculated my body mass index online one night in 2011 and saw the word obese. I was stunned. A few days later, I bought my usual breakfast on the go: a bacon and egg sandwich and a large muffin. I felt disgusted and thought, Enough. My health habits were causing me added misery, yet they were one of the only things that I could control.

I started tracking everything I put in my mouth. If a food didn't have a nutrition label or if I couldn't measure it, I didn't eat it. I stopped casually snacking and started making healthy swaps, like whole-wheat English muffins instead of white bread. I lost 8 pounds the first week.

STEP 2

USE THE 2-DAY RULE

I walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes five days a week (I raised the incline every few minutes to burn more calories). To keep up the momentum, I never let myself go more than two days without working out.

The more I exercised and ate healthy, the more powerful I felt. I was able to pass up treats my coworkers brought in without a second thought.

STEP 3

PUSH YOURSELF

I bumped up my walk to a run and trained for a 5K using the Couch to 5K program. I gradually increased my distance and completed my first half-marathon in May 2012, raising funds for cancer research.

Now, I'm no longer controlled by food, which is an amazing realization. I love the way my new body looks, but I love the way I feel far more.

My stick-with-it secret

Use budget as motivation.

I stopped drinking soda to save money. When my family of six goes to a restaurant, every little bit adds up. So if we all drink water instead of soda, it saves at least $20 per meal. That makes a big difference in our wallets over the course of a year! Although being more budget-friendly was the original motivation to quit, I know now that I'm healthier for it as well.